Santana shouts at Caballero in Yankees' win over Pirates

NEW YORK -- The Yankees' offense, fueled by two more home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr., awoke from its recent struggles with eight runs in a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. But the real fireworks erupted in the eighth inning with a benches-clearing kerfuffle after Yankees infielder Jose Caballero, a noted irritant, irritated Pirates right-hander Dennis Santana.

With a runner at first base and one out, Caballero hit a ground ball back to Santana, who started a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning. But instead of walking back to his dugout, Santana looked over to Caballero, mouthed words, made gestures and marched toward him when Caballero responded with words.

Held back by teammates, Santana continued yelling at Caballero and pointing at him until emotions fizzled.

After the Yankees' 8-5 win, Santana explained that Caballero's strategy of waiting until the pitch clock ticks down to eight seconds before making eye contact -- a ploy he regularly utilizes that has previously rankled opponents -- spawned the response.

"He can do whatever he wants, but we're already losing," Santana said. "[It's] the eighth inning and you got a couple of hits. Like, get ready."

The rulebook states batters "must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the eight-second mark" or they'll be charged with an automatic strike. Caballero, in turn, has devised an unusual pre-pitch routine of waiting until the last moment to look up at the pitcher with the goal of dictating the pace of the at-bat. It is, by definition, legal, but it has irked teams -- including the Yankees, before Caballero joined them last season -- and prompted a warning for an "intentional delay" last month against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Major League Baseball then emphasized with the Yankees that Caballero must be "alert" with eight seconds remaining on the pitch clock, which was first instituted in 2023.

"At this point, it's been four years with the same rules," Caballero said after Monday's game. "We should all know about the rules. The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box, and they should be aware of it. For you to get mad at something that the league is implementing, you shouldn't be mad at me. You should be mad at someone else."

Santana's frustration began boiling when plate umpire Paul Clemons issued a warning to him for not making eye contact with Caballero, who waited until eight seconds to look up, before coming set for the first pitch of the at-bat.

"It's a warning, but like I always say, it's been four years," Caballero said. "Why a warning when the whole league knows about it? Why a warning? They should be penalized right away like I am going to get penalized as soon as I miss my timing."

Two pitches later, Caballero grounded a slider back to Santana to ignite the double play and the ensuing scrum.

"Like I always say, for me, I'm trying to take my time," Caballero said. "I don't want them to mess with my time. I do my routine. It's just part of my routine. If you get frustrated, I'm winning. For me, it's a battle in the box, and I'm trying to win the battle. If you are not concentrated 100%, I think I'm winning.

"But at the end of the day, it's a rule that's been out there for four years now."

Both players said they don't have a relationship and have never met. Santana, 30, began the 2024 season with the Yankees before he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Pirates in June. A year later, the Yankees acquired Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays. Caballero has made a career as a speedy super-utility man with pop -- and a propensity to annoy other teams.

In 2023, Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole threw an 0-2 pitch several feet over Caballero's head after Caballero, then with the Seattle Mariners, had repeatedly stepped out of the batter's box until the pitch clock dwindled down to eight seconds. Cole then struck out Caballero before shouting words and wagging his finger at the Mariners dugout.

Three years later, it peeved another pitcher. Santana said he was aware of Caballero's tactic but that he didn't expect him to deploy it so often.

"He can do it, but not every pitch," Santana said. "That's when I got mad. Like, 'Oh, my God. What's going on? Why do you take so much time?' But if he does that every game, good for him."

Santana, who has a 6.05 ERA in 44 appearances this season, was asked if he felt the need to apologize to Caballero.

"Do you see Pedro Martinez apologize?" Santana said.br/]